Air moving device



Oct. 7, 1952 R. c. TROY AIR MOVING DEVICE 2 Sl'EETS--SHEET l Filed July l, 1949 INVENTOR. @Anm/x12; C 73220) lnlnrllllllllllllt if; B

AGENT Oct. 7, 1952 R. c. TROY AIR MOVING DEVICE 2 SPEETS-SHEE'I 2 Filed July l, 1949 INVENTOR. @4mm/v0 C 72201:/

AGENT Patented Oct. 7, 1952 UNITED,` STATES rPAI'ENflj(,)FjFlClEI y 2,613,030` l Y l AIR MOVING DEVICE Raymond C. Troy, CedarRapids, Iowa Application July 1, 1949,` Serial No.` 102,565

. l 1. This invention relates to air moving devices or. fans and has particular relation to means for operating devices of that nature from a vacuum line or` from a source of .air under low pressure such as a domestic type vacuum cleaner.

It is a primary object of my invention to provide` a newand novel arrangement and combination of `an air-circulating fan powered by;

means such as theconventional domestic vacuum cleaner. i Y.

Another primary object of my invention is to providemeans by which` the owner of` a conventional type of vacuum cleaner mayV employ such device to power" an air-circulating fan.

.A further object of the invention is the provision of an ain-circulating fan and motive power therefor .bymeans of which the conventional motor drive may, if desired, be eliminated from a rooznso as to eliminate' the heat as well as' the no'isenormally resulting from the use `of an electric motor drive within a closed room.

Another main object of my invention is to provide `novel means whereby `an air-operated motor,` normally employed for other purposes and powered by means such as a vacuum cleaner, may be quickly arranged and converted to drive an air-circulating fan.

Astillfurther object of my invention is to provide a novel means for circulating air with'-` in` a ro'om which will, at the same time, induce a. gradual change of air within the room."

iclaims. (C1. 23o-25s) Other and further features and objects of the invention will be more apparent to those skilled in the art upon a consideration of the accompanying drawings and following specification, wherein are disclosed exemplary embodiments of the invention, with the understanding; however,

that such changesmay be made therein as fall within the scope of the appended claims, withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention.`

" an exemplary means for detachably mounting the fan blades on the air-motor of Figures 1, 2, and 3, and v Figure 5 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in vertical section illustrating a modiiied form of my invention.

vReferring new to these drawings and, in particular, to `Figure 1 `thereof in which `an airmotor or turbine, indicated generally at II), is supported in a Vcradle-like base or stand II' and connected byvmeans of. a conduit or hose I2 to the vacuum cleaner I3, the connection being made to the suction side of the cleaner in the case of thefair motor shown.V `A fan assembly I4 is detachably mounted on the output shaft as will be describedhereinafter.`

As bestillustrated in Figures 2 and 3, theairmotor` IU comprises a flattened, two-part, generally oval-shaped case I6, the rear portion IGI of the case being secured to the forward or gearcase portion [S2 by means of screws, not shown.

A turbine wheel Il, located in a cylindrical recessV |63 of the casing, is supported by the shaft AI8 which is, in turn, mounted for `free rotation in the bearing I9. `A spurgear 2I on the forward endof shaft I8 ismeshed with the larger gear 22 `sci-as `to drive the output shaft 23 at reduced speed, the `output shaft and large gear 22 `being mounted for free rotation on the stub sha-ft A211.. The gear 22 is retained in position by means yof athrust washer 26 and enclosingv shield 2T.` j

Air `drawn from the discharge `opening IEB andV through the conduit I2, by means of the vacuum cleaner' I3, enters the air motor Ill through the grilled intake opening I and isl directed by the vanes It against the turbine bladesrlll to thus cause rotation of the turbine wheel, the structure `and design of rthe air motor being generally in accordance with common practice." u

The output shaft 23,carries ak driving plate 28 including a sleeve 29,to the outer end of which a iiange'd disc 3l is secured This driving plate, best shown in Figures 2 and 4, is provided with helical slots 32` in the sleeve portion 29 to receive studs` 33 :which are threaded' into the output shaft.- Thehelical slots are `so arranged that rotation of the output shaft 23 tends to wind the driving plate inwardly toward the housing,

suchv movement, however, being resisted by" ten sion springs 35 secured between studs 33 and projections df'on the `rear of the drive plate.

The purpose of .this structure has no bearing `in the present application.

The discipel is pmvided with e pair f spaced guide Vholes 34 anda pair of radially extending slots 36,`the holes being adapted for the recep-` tion of guide pins 3l secured to the inner surface ofthe ian.' assembly mounting plate 38.` This `mountingplate is ypreferably recessed as at 39` for asnug4 ilt overthe` drive plate 28, the outer1 edge of the plate having a plurality of curved fan blades 4I riveted thereto.

Latch members 42 are mounted for radially slideable movement on the face ofthe mounting plate by means of guide slots 43 and rivets 44 as well as the hook-shaped portions 46 extending rearwardly through radial guide slots 41 in the plate. These latch members 42 are adapted to be forced inwardly toward one another, against the pressure of the leaf springs 48, so as to permit the hook portions 46 to enter the slots 36 in the driving plate 28. Release of pressure on the ends of the latch members permits the pressure of the springs 48 to engage the hooks to thedriving plate at the outer ends of the slots 36 and thus secure the fan assembly in position.

A cylindrical plug 49 or the like is secured to the rear surface of the mounting plate 38 centrally thereof and, when positioned in the outer end of the drive-plate sleeve 29, this member abuts the end of the output shaft 23 and prevents longitudinal motion of the sleeve relative to the output shaft. l

A hub-cap 5I, generally dome-like in shape, 1s flanged as at 52 for frictional engagement over the central portion of the mounting plate 38, portions of the flange 52 being cut away as at 53 to-permit extension therethrough of the outer ends of the latch members 42.

'I'he base Il comprises a hollow, fiat-bottomed portion 54 and a generally ellyptical cradle 56 adapted to receive the bottom portion of the alrmotor housing. An arm 51, projecting rearwardly from the base is slotted vertically at its outer end as at 58 to receive a thumb screw 59, said screw comprising a part of the hose clamp 6|.

In the modified form of my invention illustrated in Figure 5, the fan housing 10 has a forward or cover portion 1l having an elongated bearing portion 12 supporting the turbine shaft 13. A fan 14 is mounted on the outer end of the shaft and a turbine-wheel 16 mounted on the inner end thereof. The rear housing member 11 is secured by screws 18 to the cover member and has a cylindrical recess enclosing the peripheral portion of the turbine wheel except for theA air-inlet opening 19 in which vanes 8| serve to direct air against the turbineA blades 82 in a manner similar to that illustrated by Figure 3.

Air drawn through the turbine is removed through the discharge opening 83 and the hollow standard 84 which member is mounted in a socket 86 in the base 81. An outlet connections 88 in the base and thimble 89 provide for attachment of the vacuum hose I2. i

I have shown and described herein a new and novel combination and arrangementof elements providing means for circulating air within a room or the like and utilizing a conventional vacuum cleaner as a source of power. or turbine employed to drive the fan blades, in one embodiment of the invention, is a type commonly employed in conjunction with such a vacuum cleaner for driving a floor waxing brush and one of the important features of my invention lies in thenovel means provided for adapting such a device to an entirely different use.

Devices embodying my inventive idea have`nu` merous important advantages. In addition to the advantage of lowered cost, suchian air moving device may be employed when quiet 'operation is desired, as in sickrooms, in which case the vacuum cleaner itself may be placed'in another room. Further advantages, when the device is,

The air motor employed in this manner, are continuous replacement of a portion of the room air and elimination of the heat of the electric motor from the room.

Although I have described specific embodiments of my invention, it is apparent that modications thereof may be made by those skilled in the art. Such modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

l. In a device of the character described for use in conjunction with a vacuum cleaner; a casing, an air turbine therein having an output shaft projecting from one side of the casing, a base member having a cradle-like portion adapted to receive the lower end of the casing. means for securing the casing in said cradle-like portion, hose means connecting the air turbine and the vacuum cleaner, a disc-like drive plate mounted on the output shaft and having radially elongated apertures therein, a detachable mounting plate also having radially elongated apertures therein, latching members having hook-like portions projecting through the apertures in both of said plates, means for aligning the mounting plate with the drive plate, means biasing said latching members into latching engagement with the drive plate, and fan blades secured to the mounting plate.

2. For use in combination with a vacuum cleaner andan air turbine of the class describedr and having a circular, radially-slotted drive plate mounted on the output shaft of the turbine; a' generally circular mounting plate having fan` blades mounted thereon and having a portionV thereof recessed for reception over the drive plate,` the mounting platealso having radially extend' ing slots therein aligned with the slots in the drive plate, latching members having hooked portions thereof extending through said slots in' both plates, spring means biasing said hooked latching means into position latching said plates together and spacing means extending rearwardly vfrom the center of the mounting plate and adapted to bear against the end of the output shaft.

3. For use in combination with a vacuum cleaner and an air turbine of the class described having an apertured drive plate mounted on the output shaft thereof; a generally circular mount'-V ing plate having fan blades attached thereto,

projections extending rearwardly fromv the plate and engageable in the apertures of the drive plate for aligning and driving the mounting plate, and

latch means mounted on the mounting plateand having portions thereof engageable with the drive plate for securing said plates together.

4. For use in combination withk a vacuunr cleaner and an air turbine of the class describedk having an apertured drive plateniounted on vthe output shaft thereof; a generally circular mounting plate having fan blades attached thereto, projections extending rearwardly from the plate and engageable in the apertures of the drive plate for aligning and driving the mounting plate, latchl means mounted on the mounting plateand having portions thereof engageable with the drive` plate for securing said plates together'and spacer means extending rearwardly from the'mounting plate and abutting the end of the output shaft. i f

(References on following page) The following references are of record in the REFERENCES CITED le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Horton Feb. 3, 1942 10 Number Number Name Date Kritzer June 27, 1944 Koch Dec. 12, 1944 Resch Apr. 17, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain Sept. 28, 1911 France Sept. 7, 1936 

